BAGUIO CITY – The local government and the Filipino-Chinese Friendship Day co-celebrated on Monday, June 10, 2019 the 18th Filipino-Chinese Friendship Day at the Filipino-Chinese Friendship Garden in Botanical Garden.
The celebration was spearheaded by the Filipino-Chinese community and the local government in cooperation with the City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO), City Social Welfare and Development Office, and the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO).
The formal program for the celebration started around 10 am where Zhou Youbin, Consul and Head of Post of the Consulate of the Peoples Republic of China based in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte delivered his inspirational message to the participants of the city-led event.
The Filipino-Chinese community and city officials recognized the Filipino-Chinese Garden benefactors and explained the significance of the garden.
Further, the Baguio Filipino-Chinese community and the Baguio City Police Office signed a deed of donation for a motorcycle from the former.
Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan and Consul Youbin led the ribbon-cutting and unveiling of the Baguio Filipino-Chinese Friendship Garden and symbolic tree planting.
On the other hand, the Baguio Filipino-Chinese executive committee paid a special tribute and appreciation wherein plaques of appreciation were given to outgoing Mayor Mauricio g. Domogan, honorary chairperson of the executive committee and lawyer Carlos M. Canilao, city Administrator and co-chairperson of the executive committee.
City officials and the Filipino-Chinese community also participated in a gift sharing activity for children-in-conflict with the law (CICL) and children-at-risk (CAR) wherein the beneficiaries were chosen by the personnel of the City Social Welfare and Development office.
Earlier, the local government ceded to the Baguio Filipino Chinese community some 1,000 square meters within the Botanical Garden which was continuously improved by the members of the Filipino-Chinese community in the city until it was able to become a friendship garden.
Domogan expressed his gratitude to the Filipino-Chinese community for their valuable contributions to the local government that continued to help sustain the growth and development of Baguio as a business haven considering the businesses that they have established which provided employment opportunities and sources of livelihood to most residents.
He claimed that the Filipino-Chinese community has been a solid partner of the local government not only in the economic aspect of governance but also in providing the needed assistance to disaster victims as they are always ready to help in providing relief goods to calamity victims who are either based in evacuation centers or in their residences.
Baguio city was the first local government to institutionalize the annual celebration of the Chinese Lunar New Year with the passage of Ordinance No. 18, series of 1999 which solidified the partnership between the city and the Filipino-Chinese community in whatever aspect of governance for two decades now.
By Dexter A. See